Source: Flickr user infanticida.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is well known for its dedication to science and technology. The prestigious school has inspired and innovated several notable discoveries and inventions over the years, including: the development of radar, contributions to mapping the human genome project, discovering quarks, and the invention of the GPS to name a few.
With such an impressive background, it should come as no surprise to anyone that MIT has high standards for any who apply. More than 18,000 people send in their applications to MIT each year, and of those about 1,450 are accepted. With a 7.9% acceptance rate and an average GPA of 4.13, it is no easy task being admitted to this school; those who are admitted are at the top of their class and excel in academics and testing.
MIT ACT and SAT Scores
So, what about the entrance exams? What kind of scores would you need to make it into MIT sat requirements? A good trick to use is to look at the average scores between the 25th percentile and 75th percentile to see how the middle 50% of admitted students score, finding averages makes comparisons easier.
ACT
36 is the highest achievable score for this test, and MIT acceptees tend to average between 33 and 35 score-wise. This makes MIT score averages some of the highest in the nation. The national ACT average composite score is 21.
Let’s take a closer look at the English and Math sections of the ACT. For English, the middle 50% of MIT students scored between 33-35. Nationally, that number is an average of 20.4. It may not come as much of a surprise that MIT students scored higher in the Math section, with an average 34-36. The national average is 20.8.
SAT
For MIT, the average SAT score is between 1500–1570. Nationally, the average composite score is 1000.
For Math, MIT accepted students averaged a score of 770–800; nationally the average score was 511. For Reading (sometimes called Verbal) MIT scored an average 750–800. The average reading score for the nation, 495. (All on the 1600 scale).
How MIT Acceptees Compare
MIT’s average composite scores for the ACT and SAT are 34 and 2220 (old scale) respectively. This means MIT students are nationally ranked in the 99th percentile for both tests.
However, to quote MIT’s admissions page “[test scores] are not the only factor, or even the most important factor” when it comes to deciding whether or not to accept a student. “What this means is that you shouldn’t stress out too much about your scores, because we admit people, not numbers. With that said, tests are certainly important, and you should prepare for them as best you can.”
Requirements for MIT include: an impressive GPA, two letters of recommendation (one from a math/science teacher, one from humanities), either the SAT or ACT (writing section not required for either), a few essays, and if possible an interview.
Check out how your SAT scores affect your acceptance odds with College Raptor!
